Place:Meldon, Northumberland, England

source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is based on an article in Wikipedia

Meldon is a village in Northumberland, England. It lies to the west of Morpeth. The population of Meldon as taken at the 2001 UK census was 162, increasing to 242 at the 2011 UK census.

A Vision of Britain through Time provides the following description of Meldon from John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales of 1870-72:

"MELDON, a parish in Morpeth [registration] district, Northumberland; on the Wansbeck river and the Wansbeck Valley railway, 6 miles W by S of Morpeth. It has a station on the railway; and its Post town is Morpeth. Acres: 993. Real property: £.2,548. Population: 144. Houses: 27. The manor, with Meldon Park, belongs to John Cookson, Esq. Meldon Tower existed in the time of Henry VI.; was the seat of the Fenwicks; is associated, in curious local tradition, with Meg o' Meldon, mother of Sir W. Fenwick in the 17th century; and has completely disappeared. Meldon Water-mill is said to have been a momentary resting-point of Oliver Cromwell in 1651. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Durham. Value: £288. Patrons: the Dean and Chapter of Durham.,he church was restored by Dr. Raine, the antiquary, who was rector."

Meldon was an ancient parish in the Castle Ward which also became a civil parish in the 19th century. From 1894 it was part of Morpeth Rural District. In 1974 rural districts were abolished and Meldon became part of the Castle Morpeth District until 2009 when Northumberland became a unitary authority.

Meldon was an ancient parish without any subsidiary townships or chapelries. In 1955 its area was expanded when it absorbed the following civil parishes:

• Longshaws
• Newton Park
• Newton Underwood
• Nunriding
• Pigdon
• River Green
• Throphill

Most of these civil parishes had been townships of the ancient parish of Milford.

Research Tips

• Northumberland Archives previously known as Northumberland Collections Service and Northumberland County Record Office. Now based within Woodhorn Museum in Ashington and providing free access to numerous records for local and family historians alike.

Full postal address: Museum and Northumberland Archives, Queen Elizabeth II Country Park, Ashington, Northumberland, NE63 9YF; Phone: 01670 624455

There is a branch office in Berwick upon Tweed.

• Northumberland and Durham FHS covers both Northumberland and County Durham. The Family History Society have a research centre in Percy House in central Newcastle upon Tyne (full address on website), open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 4 pm. Browse the website to see what else the society can provide.
• Further information from GENUKI
• Ordnance Survey map of Northumberland 1832 provided by A Vision of Britain through Time. This map includes the boundaries of the various Wards (or "hundreds") in existence at that time.
• Ordnance Survey map of Northumberland 1900 provided by A Vision of Britain through Time
• Ordnance Survey map of Northumberland 1944 provided by A Vision of Britain through Time
• English Jurisdictions 1851, a parish finding aid provided by FamilySearch, particularly helpful in large towns and cities.
• Unfortunately, there is no Victoria County History for Northumberland.